Death Points a Finger

  This time the note was addressed to Norah. Wrapped securely therewas a small object in the strong envelope. Professor Brierly tookthe small object from her hand. It was a human tooth, a tooth withdried blood on it. It had the ragged roots characteristic of ababy tooth, when it comes out.

  At this moment McCall stepped into the room. Norah turned to himimpulsively and told him of the letter and the accompanying tooth.

  "How horrible!" exclaimed McCall. "Professor, we must--"

  "Yes, pretty bad," commented Professor Brierly, "something must bedone, quickly. But, there is, as our friend Hale would say,something wrong with this picture. This tooth did not come fromThomas's mouth. It--"

  "Not from Tommy's mouth?" repeated Norah.

  "No, Mrs. Van Orden, you may be certain of that. The roots of achild's teeth undergo a certain amount of disintegration before itis ready to give place to the permanent teeth. We will not go intothe mechanical and biological reasons for this destruction; it isnot important. While this is a deciduous tooth, I mean a babytooth, it is not Thomas's tooth. How old is Thomas, Mrs. VanOrden?"

  "He was just four and half years old yesterday."

  Professor Brierly nodded his snow white head.

  "Exactly, I thought so. No baby's tooth at that age shows theamount of disintegration that this tooth shows. Depend on it Mrs.Van Orden, this tooth comes from the mouth of a child of not lessthan nine years of age."

  The group was staring in wide-eyed astonishment. Norah askedtremulously.

  "You are certain of what you say, Professor, that this is notTommy's tooth."

  "Depend on it, sis," interrupted Matthews. "Professor Brierlycould not be mistaken in a thing like that. What I want to know iswhy--why this?"

  There was an air of relief in the old scientist's demeanor. Hestill looked grim but he had the appearance of a man who has had aload lifted from him.

  "I believe I know why. At any rate this solves one thing for us.My advice is that we notify the police of the kidnapping. I do notthink we can gain anything now by keeping quiet. I am alsoreasonably convinced that no harm can come to Thomas unlesssomething unforeseen happens.

  "Furthermore, it is safe to say that in a short time we will solvethe murders of the Tontine group. You were right, Mr. McCall andyou Hale. This kidnapping is intimately bound up with thosemurders. I am beginning to see light. Let us notify the police,"he concluded decisively.